Northern Lights
by freedomatthesea
Summary: Pirate Swan and Prince Killian. A prompt for CS Week.


"On your feet prince." The pirate woman growled as she drew her dagger to his throat, guiding him upright before she pulled the blade away from him. Her eyes narrowed as she came face to face with him, "Whatever goods you have of value on this vessel, belongs to my crew. Have your men collect it. Try anything funny and we won't mind blowing your ship straight out of the water.  
"Many thanks for removing that from my throat," The prince spat out, brushing his fingers over his neck, pulling them back to check for blood. "You'll be disappointed, there's nothing on this vessel."

"You've got rings." She snapped, gesturing for her crewmen to continue with their searching. "Hand them here."

The pirate held her hand out, eyeing the man coldly, "Now."

"Well, aren't we trying our best to be in command," The prince retorted, jerking the rings from his fingers and dropping them into her palm, "I've met more commanding women in the courts. Try harder."

A glimmer of something passed through her gaze before she looked away, "Do those ladies of the court wield blades that could easily rip your throat from ear to ear?" She brandished the weapon again, enjoying the moment of panic that flickered through his blue eyes, "Then silence."

"Captain Swan."

"Yes?" Swan turned to face one of her crewmen, smirking proudly when the pirate revealed to her a chest, locked tight. "We'll be taking this." She spoke over her shoulder to the prince.

His haughty demeanor broke then, "Please not that. Its value is only important to me."

"Then perhaps you should have had more on your ship for a pirate to loot." She clapped her hands together before turning her back, "Crew, we're done here, it's time to depart."

The prince stepped in between her and the rest of her crew, "My box if you please. It has no value to anyone but me."

She drew her dagger again, "You're quite a brave little royal aren't you?"

"Well, perhaps if you had inquired of my kingdom you would know that I am from brave kin."

"I could tell from the banners on your ship, you're a royal from the Northern Seas."

"Prince Killian is the name," The prince did a sweeping bow, a frivolous display in hopes that the pirate would be fooled by his feigned hospitality and leave his box with him.

"Captain Swan, if you please." The woman retorted, sheathing her blade, "Crew - take him." She laughed coldly at his struggle as her crew descended around him, binding him quickly and perhaps a little too tightly. "You want your precious box, then it comes with you. A hostage that perhaps your little kingdom will miss."

The prince jerked and trashed angrily, trying to clear himself from the hands of her grimy crew. "Unhand me! We are too far from the Northern Sea, it will be months before news of my disappearance is even accounted for."

"How shameful," She stepped before him, giving him her best disparaging pout, fluttering her lashes. "How will they take it that their prince was taken by a woman?"

"A pirate is a pirate, no matter the gender. You'll be hung."

"It's been a long time coming. I expect no less." Her voice held a nonchalant tone, her shoulders sagging without a care.

"You accept death?" The prince questioned, brows raised in surprise. "Then you and I have a commonality."

The captain arched a brow at that, mirroring his expression, "You mean to say that a prince from the North seeks death? My… What a turn of events that is." His piercing blue eyes met hers, holding her gaze, making her pulse jump in her veins. "Go easy on the prisoner boys," She jeered to her crew as the started towards her vessel, "Wouldn't want his wish to come true, would we?"

* * *

The pirate captain sat across from the prince at her table, a decent enough meal laid out before them. She had, once upon a time, feasted on far finer foods, meals that the prince would have approved of. But times had changed, means had come to an end, and this was all they had.

"You haven't touched your rations. I'm feeding you food fit for the Captain and you sneer. If you wouldn't care for this I'm sure-"

"No! No it's not that I wish for something else," He started, eyes flickering to hers, "I'm not hungry."

"Fair enough." Emma sat down her knife and fork, kicking back in her seat, "I'm not entirely starved myself." She eyed the prince quietly for a moment before starting, "So, Prince Killian of the Northern Sea, what has you here off the coast of Aggrabah?"

"There is a princess there, Princess Jasmine that my family wished for me to form an alliance with-"

"You mean marry."

"Yes."

Killian drummed his fingers against the table, thankful for his freedom from the bindings. "But you have saved me from that engagement, haven't you?"

Emma smirked at that, "And piracy saved me from my own." She reached for her mug of ale, downing a sizeable gulp of it.

"You're lonely," Killian observed, noticing the way her face fell at his words. "A whole crew at your command and still all alone. I can sympathize."

Her eyes fluttered and she looked away, staring at the ground, "I may have a crew who take orders from me, but I do not have a friend among them."

"So you steal a prince and make him your friend?"

Emma jutted her chin out, "Who said you were my friend? You're my prisoner."  
"Hmm." He hummed with an arrogant smirk, lifting his own mug to his lips.

"You're not convincing me of that."  
She rolled her eyes, "Perhaps we have a few commonalities, as you pointed out, but that's the limit of it all." Emma rose to her feet, bringing her mug with her as she strode over to her bookcase, idly looking over the leather bound volumes.

"You claim that you've not taken me prisoner to have yourself a friend, yet within hours of taking me, you revealed something about yourself."

She jerked around, "What did I reveal to you?"

"You said that you were set to be engaged to someone as well. That piracy saved you." The prince followed her to where she stood with a smug little grin on his lips. "So I know something about you now."

"You know nothing about me." Emma narrowed her eyes, "You know what you want to know about me."

Killian arched a brow, leaning close enough to make the captain uncomfortable, but not enough for her to pull away. "Were you a lady of the court? Is that why you sneered at the mention of it. The reason that you were apparently betrothed to someone?"

"Perhaps." Emma said quietly, looking down, "You're too perceptive."

"You're an open book to me Captain Swan."

* * *

  
"What's in the box?" Emma questioned, having watched him caressing the box for too long. Her interest was piqued and she wanted to know what was within the locked wooden box. "Jewels? Treasures?"

Killian turned to look up at the captain. The new familiarity and comfortable air that had set in between them was suddenly slipping away at that question.

Two weeks he'd been aboard the ship, making ties between himself and the captain, becoming something akin to friends. But, now it was fading away at the mention of the past.

His past.

"I don't want to talk about." He said simply, blue eyes finding hers, holding her gaze. "I'm sure you have secrets that you don't wish to tell me."

Emma looked away then, "I do. I understand." She rested her hands behind her back as she paced, "I have plenty of secrets that you are never going to find out about.

Killian pressed his palms against the top of the box, before sighing heavily, "It's not even a good secret. It's a dark secret that haunts me."

"I have many of those," Emma said quietly, moving to sit at the table across from him. "But my secrets aren't so easily confined to a box."

The prince swallowed hard, squeezing his eyes closed for a long minute before he spoke, "When I was younger, I fell in love with a married woman at court. Her husband… Was a vindictive monster of a man who has control over the powers of dark magic."

"She died." Emma added, seeing no good coming from the end of this story.

"Brutally murdered. Her heart was ripped out and her body thrown to the sea." Killian stroked the box then, "Her heart is here, though for what purpose I know not. Her body is gone."

Emma bowed her head, "I'm sorry Killian."

He shook his head, rising to his feet and plucking the box up. "No, it's time to let her go."

"What are you doing?" She questioned, following him as he headed towards the door, "You are not doing what I think you're about to do."

The prince stopped in his tracks, turning to look at the pirate captain, "I can't move on until I finish that chapter. It's been five years."

"And it's been six years since I gave up my son and left." Emma snapped, barring the door with her body. "Some scars are too deep to just rid yourself of them."

"You have a child?" He stared at her in surprise.

Emma shut her eyes tightly, slipping past him, "I don't wish divulge."

"You said you were to marry and piracy saved you."

"I was foolish girl, Ioved the son of fiendish man. I became with child, be abandoned me, his father scorned my family, cast shame on me. I had to give my son to him…. Please I don't want to continue."

Killian grabbed her arm as she walked past him, meeting her eyes, "Your secret is safe with me."

"Thank you." Emma said softly. "Thank you, my friend."

"You're an open book to me Emma." He retorted with a smirk, his eyes bright with good spirit as he held her gaze.

"So are you Killian."

* * *

Soon enough, she was certain, he would find out who she truly was. Or had been. She had revealed enough about herself, that a smart man could piece together the details. Well bred, manners despite her means, a child somewhere in the world, a vile man set to ruin her, betrothals gone wrong. It should all make sense.

But did anyone remember the missing princess? Or was that a tale long forgotten now?

She had come to care far too much for her hostage, her friend. She saw something in him, something that she saw in herself. A kindred spirit.

He had lost and she had lost, though differently, the scars were similar enough. Their pain was written in their eyes and they saw it all.

"I bet your crew wonders what their pirate captain does in her quarters with her hostage." Killian jested, kicking back in his seat as he took a long sip of his ale.

Emma quirked her brows, "I'm sure they expect you to usurp power one of these days."

"They take orders from you because of who you are don't they?" Killian questioned, his elbows now resting against the table. "What ever happened when you had your child, right?"

"Yes." Emma nodded with a heavy sigh, running her hands through her hair. "I haven't a clue how it is that you have managed to weasel your way into my good graces."

"It's my charm and devilish good looks." He retorted with a smug grin. "You know it is."

Emma laughed at that, rolling her eyes. "While I might find that all to be true.. There's something more that I'm not sure if. It's intriguing to say the least."

Killian grinned cheekily, "Maybe you're secretly a princess and we both share the same dread at the boredom and obligation of it all."

"Oh…. That's certainly secret."

"What is?"

"Nothing." She retorted, matching his smirk with her own.

"You are full of secrets." The prince retorted, following the pirate when she started towards her desk, cutting her off before she could reach it. "What would be the likelihood that two royals, fleeing from lives and betrothals they don't want, meet on the high seas?"

Emma eyed him, stepping closer to him, eyes flickering to his lips. "About as likely as me kissing you. _Right now_." She met his eyes again, amused by that look if shock and desire in his gaze. She rose up on her toes, bridging the gap between them as her lips met his.

There was a definite spark. Something she had never felt with any other. Something that she didn't expect to feel with anyone ever. Just him. Her fingers brushed over the scruff on his jaws, pulling back for a breath, lips brushing against his lips still. Her eyes flickered open, meeting his strikingly blue eyes, "Now you know who I am." Killian bit down on his bottom lip, before releasing it and stepping closer to her, his hand slipping around to the small of her back. "A runaway princess that's finally found her prince." He said in a low, gruff tone, his eyes studying her lips before leaning in to steal another kiss. Emma gasped against his lips, her heart fluttering in her chest when he pulled her close, flush against him. She had been trying hard to ignore all of these feelings, all of these needs and desires that came from him, but she couldn't anymore. "And what have you found Prince Killian? Have you found yourself that princess you've always been looking for?" "Well," He retorted with a smirk, "I've found my Northern Light." As the legend of the North went, there was a light for every heir to the throne. Many were said to see them right before they died, some when they were born. But, for a very lucky few, they saw them in their lifetime. Not quite a scene played out in the heavens, but a light, so bright and powerful that it was manifested in one person. One person that was made for _him_. And she was choice. He could have said no to her, just as she could have said no to him. But they didn't have to, because no one was making them be together. They chose it. They chose each other. A life on the open seas, free to be who they wanted to be. Captain, captive, prince, princess, Emma, Killian. 


End file.
